Maybe Next Time
by temari13
Summary: Her friends all had someone special to share Valentine's Day with. She was still alone. But maybe next time, it would be her. Happy Valentine's Day, everybody!


Another plot bunny that took over my body. It's for Valentine's Day, and my sister liked it, but I'm not too sure about it. Read and review, please!

Pairings are as follows: Renji/Rukia, Tatsuki/Some random guy, Uryuu/Nemu, Gin/Rangiku, Toushirou/Karin, Chad/Some random girl, and Ichigo/Orihime

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, therefore I do not own the characters Kurosaki Ichigo (though I wish I did) or Inoue Orihime or any other Bleach character for that matter.

Orihime had always been alone, missing someone from her life. Sure, when she was younger she had had Sora, but she hadn't had a father or mother. Then Sora had died, and she had become friends with Tatsuki, but she hadn't had her brother. No matter what happened, no matter how many friends she had, she still felt alone.

She dealt with it, and learned to hide her loneliness. But there was one day that she longed to skip, for it was the day she felt the most alone.

Valentine's Day.

Everywhere she walked, she saw couples snuggling or kissing. Sappy romance specials played on the television, taunting her.

**You don't have anyone. You're all alone. No one can love you.**

Her heart ached every time, and she wished -oh, how she wished- that, if only for one time, she could have someone love her like that.

But her wish never came true. Now matter how many stars she wished on, no matter how many pennies she threw into the fountain, she was still alone.

Loneliness.

To some, it was a horrible feeling. To her, it was a way of life. She was used to it. And she was soon able to brush it off, forget about it. Except for on that day. Then her loneliness came to haunt her. It stayed from the time she woke up to the time she fell asleep.

No one was there to hear her quiet sobs as she curled up on her futon.

Alone.

Age Eighteen

"Hey, Orihime. What do you think of this dress?" Rukia asked.

The girl tilted her head, studying it. "It's very pretty." She said at length.

"I'm thinking that this is the _one._" The Shinigami declared, grinning.

"I'm sure that Renji will love any dress you choose."

There was the rustle of pages as Rukia set the bridal magazine down. "What's up, Orihime? You don't seem like your normal self."

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing. I'm fine." The readhead waved her hand nervously.

"If you say so." Rukia eyed her friend suspiciously, but decided not to push the subject. She turned the page and gasped. "This is the one!"

Orihime smiled, although it was a forced one. Rukia's wedding was approaching quickly. She couldn't let Rukia see how unhappy she was. She couldn't spoil it for her friend.

Rukia had someone special to share Valentine's Day with.

She was still alone.

But maybe next time, it would be her.

Age Twenty

"...Then he said if I don't want to wear a dress, I don't have to. But now, I'm thinking that maybe I can stand to wear that thing for a few hours. But it has to be something plain. I don't want ruffles or lace." Tatsuki shuddered. "Hey, Orihime, are you listening to me?"

"Yes." She replied absently.

"Then what did I just say?"

"You're debating about whether or not you want to wear a dress for your wedding. Personally, I think you should. I mean, it is your special day. Oh!" Orihime squealed. "I saw one the other day that is perfect for you!"

"You've been looking through bridal magazines, Orihime?" Tatsuki raised an eyebrow. "Something you need to share?"

She laughed nervously. "Oh, no. I just like looking at them. The dresses are so pretty I can't resist buying the magazines at the store."

"Uh-huh." Tatsuki was unconvinced, but let it slide. Orihime was known to pick up some rather strange items at the store. One time, she had bought dog food because the little puppy on the front was too cute.

Orihime let her thoughts drift as Tatsuki examined the picture closely.

Rukia and Tatsuki had someone special to share Valentine's Day with.

She was still alone.

But maybe next time, it would be her.

Age Twenty-one

"She's letting him decide how the wedding should go. I wish she would just stand up to him for once and tell him what she really wants." Uryuu grumbled. "That stupid Shinigami..."

"Just which Shinigami are you speaking about: your fiancée or your future father-in-law?" Ichigo grinned.

"Do not refer to him as that. He does not deserve to be called that. So if any of you receive an invitation that says the wedding will take place in Seireitei, throw it away."

"Inoue? Did you hear?" Ichigo touched her arm. "Are you okay? You seem kinda...distant today."

"No, no, I-I'm fine, Kurosaki-kun." She lied, grinning happily. "I'm just thinking about what I'm going to wear, that's all." She continued to smile and nod as the two men began to talk about other things.

Rukia and Tatsuki and Uryuu had someone special to share Valentine's Day with.

She was still alone.

But maybe next time, it would be her.

Age Twenty-two

"I know I should have told you before, but it just...happened." Rangiku sighed, then giggled. "It was actually pretty fun. One minute, we were arguing and fighting, next thing we knew, we woke up in a hotel room with a piece of paper saying we were married."

"Honestly, Matsumoto. I don't know how you get yourself into these kinds of situations." Toushirou sipped his tea.

"I just hope Soul Society doesn't hear about it. They wouldn't understand about me and Gin..." She turned to her quiet friend. "I trust you won't say anything about this to anyone?"

"Tell what?" Orihime looked confused.

"...You have to stop spacing out like that, Girl." Rangiku shook her head. "You're going to get yourself killed one of these days."

"Sorry, but I was watching those little aliens fight over the piece of cake." She responded absently.

The two Soul Reapers stared at her, then shrugged. Orihime was always spouting off weird things like that.

Rukia and Tatsuki and Uryuu and Rangiku had someone special to share Valentine's Day with.

She was still alone.

But maybe next time, it would be her.

Age Twenty-five

"...And you had better not make her upset or cry, or I will beat you into the ground. Clear?" Ichigo growled at the short white-haired taicho.

"For the hundredth time, it is perfectly clear, Kurosaki." Toushirou bit out, irritated at the substitute Shinigami's pestering.

"Good." Ichigo relaxed. "Hey, Inoue. Are you done packing? We leave for Seireitei tomorrow morning."

"Ah, yes. I just finished before you came over to talk to Toushirou." She let out a squeak. "The kettle! Excuse me!" She jumped to her feet, ignoring the looks that passed between the two people still seated at the table. The kettle hadn't whistled yet.

Rukia and Tatsuki and Uryuu and Rangiku and Toushirou had someone special to share Valentine's Day with.

She was still alone.

But maybe next time, it would be her.

Age Twenty-six

"Man, I hate these suits." Ichigo muttered and pulled at the collar. "At least this is the last wedding for a while. I'm getting tired of all this sappy stuff." He glanced over at the groom. "Chad seems happy. Haven't seen him smile this much in a while." He hesitated. "And speaking of smiling, when are you going to smile for real, Inoue?"

Orihime managed to look surprised. "I don't know what you mean. I'm always smiling, Kurosaki-kun."

"Yeah, but it's fake. Everyone can tell. What's wrong? You know you can talk to me, Inoue." He said gently, his face serious.

"Yes, thank you. Oh, I think they want pictures. We should hurry, Kurosaki-kun." She threw over her shoulder as she quickly swept away.

Rukia and Tatsuki and Uryuu and Rangiku and Toushirou and Chad had someone special to share Valentine's Day with.

She was still alone.

But maybe next time, it would be her.

Age Twenty-Seven

She had no idea why she had come. Why hadn't she pleaded sickness? Why had she let Tatsuki drag her to this party? She didn't belong here. Glancing around, she noted dully the red and pink decorations scattered about the room.

Valentine's Day.

There was Rukia and Renji. Their son and daughter were with Byakuya for the evening. Tatsuki and her husband were sitting, quietly talking about something. Their son was with his grandparents. Uryuu and Nemu had managed to make it, too. Although he hated the Soul Society, he had agreed to live there, as long as Mayuri didn't experiment on their son. Rangiku had been ecstatic when Gin had showed up. Their daughter was playing in another room since there was no one to babysit her. Toushirou and Karin had come, as well. Isshin had happily agreed to watch his twin grandchildren. Then there was Chad and his wife. They were expecting a baby in two months, and they both were so proud, showing the ultrasounds to everyone.

She shuddered. She wanted to sleep the day away. Maybe it wasn't too late to play the sick card. After all, no one would want her here if she had the measles or chicken pox or mumps.

"Hey, Orihime, relax. You look like you're about to face a hundred Hollows all by yourself." Rukia chided.

She would rather face the hundred Hollows than be here, she decided.

"Wow. Look at this." Karin grinned. "We're all together again. Except for Ichi-nii. He's late. Again. Someone has got to buy him a clock."

Orihime's heart lifted slightly. Ichigo was on his way. He, like her, was still alone. That meant that perhaps they could spend time alone. She heard the front door open and close.

"Finally made it, Ichigo. We've only been waiting for an hour." Renji spoke sarcastically.

"Very funny. It hasn't been that long. Stop being so dramatic." Ichigo replied dryly.

Orihime stepped forward, then stopped upon seeing a figure partially hidden behind Ichigo.

"Who's your friend?" Uryuu asked.

"Oh, this is Suzuki Aimi." Ichigo went around the room and introduced everyone.

"It's nice to meet you all. Ichigo-kun has told me a lot about you." Aimi's black eyes shone as she stared at him.

The cup Orihime had been holding fell and shattered. With a mumbled apology, she rushed from the room, tears blinding her vision. She didn't bother to offer to pick up the glass.

It reminded her of her heart.

Rukia and Tatsuki and Uryuu and Rangiku and Toushirou and Chad and now Ichigo had someone special to share Valentine's Day with.

She was still alone.

Back home, as she flung herself onto her futon, she realized something that, deep down, she had known all along.

She would always be alone.

Age Twenty-eight

Orihime hummed softly as she arranged the flowers in the vase. She eyed them critically, then moved the lily to the middle of the bunch. She gave a satisfied nod. That was better. The clock struck one, and she sighed. She hadn't eaten yet, and she was starving.

She opened the fridge and rummaged through it. She pulled out a container and wrinkled her nose. Two month old chicken. Yuck. She placed it back in the fridge, and shut the door. Maybe she would order a small pizza. She could always save the leftovers for later. She picked up the phone and had just begun to dial when the doorbell rang. She blinked.

She wasn't expecting company, unless it was Rangiku stopping by to check on her. Crossing to a window, she peeked out through the curtain. Her heart slammed against her chest. No. it couldn't be-

Why was he here? She placed a hand on her chest, attempting to calm her nerves. _"Act normal."_ She told herself. The buzzer went off again, and she hurriedly went to answer it. Swinging the door open, she pasted a happy smile on her face. "Kurosaki-kun. What a surprise. Come in." She stood back to let him enter.

"Thanks, Inoue." He stepped inside, shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

Orihime looked at him quizzically. He was behaving strangely."Would you like some tea?"

"Ah, yes. That would be great." He shifted nervously.

"You can sit down at the table or the couch, whichever you prefer." She bustled into the kitchen and pulled out a kettle, filled it with water, then set it on the stove. She turned back around to face her guest, who had seated himself on the couch. She studied him. He was leaning forward, rubbing his hands together, an uncertain expression on his face. The silence stretched, making her uncomfortable. "Uh, how is Suzuki-san doing?" She asked.

"Fine, I guess."

"That's good."

Only the ticking of the clock interrupted the silence. She stole a glance at the calendar. February 14th. Why was he here on Valentine's Day? Shouldn't he be with his girlfriend? "Um, Kurosaki-kun," She ventured to ask. "Why are you here?" She clapped her hand over her mouth, mortified. "Oh, s-sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It was rude of me." She gave a nervous laugh, then trailed off. Sighing deeply, she whirled away.

"Inoue..."

She froze. She had never heard him say her name that way before. It was quiet, but filled with tenderness. She hadn't decided what to do before she felt a hand roughly grab her shoulder and spin her around. She was vaguely aware of lips meeting hers, softly at first, then with more insistence. She parted her lips at his silent order, and his tongue overtook her mouth. She whimpered, her knees growing weak. She clung onto him for support. She didn't dare let go. She knew that she would collapse.

The need for air caused them to pull apart. Her hands still clutched his shirt, but he either didn't seem to notice or care.

"Ku-Kurosaki-kun?" She breathed.

He drew in a shuddering breath. "Sorry, Inoue. I shouldn't have done that, but I just couldn't..." He let his sentence hang, unsure of what to say.

She stared at him, her eyes prodding him to continue.

"Aimi and I broke up. Just this morning." He couldn't meet her gaze. "She accused me of not being attentive enough to her. Claimed I was ignoring her." He let out a bitter laugh. "I had even proposed to her, too. Had the ring and everything. Set the mood, knelt down on one knee, did it all right. But she didn't care." He paused.

"Kurosaki-kun, I'm so sorry." She whispered, tears in her eyes.

He looked at her in surprise. "You are?"

"Oh, yes. Suzuki-san doesn't know what she's missing." Orihime declared before turning red.

Ichigo let the comment slide. "I found myself just wandering around, then suddenly, I was at your door ringing your doorbell. You know, it's funny. You can love someone and not even know it. The person could be there, right in front of you, and you don't even notice it." He caught her gaze.

She couldn't breathe. She couldn't tear her eyes away.

"Inoue..." He ran a finger, calloused from wielding a zanpaktou, down her smooth cheek. "I'm sorry for not seeing it earlier."

The tears broke free, and she latched onto him, burying her face in his chest. He simply held her, letting her cry. When she had no more tears left, and her sobs had diminished to hiccups, she gazed up at him. "I will always forgive you, Kurosaki-kun. And I will always love you." She smiled gently.

He pulled her in for another kiss, but the kettle whistled. He let her go long enough to take it off the stove top, then leaned down. "And I will always love you." He whispered against her ear, before claiming her lips again.

Orihime was soon caught up in the passion of the kiss. But she couldn't help but think...

This time was her time. Never again would she spend another Valentine's Day alone.

Now, she had someone special to share it with.


End file.
